Summer Nutrition

Published 3rd May 2017

Whether it’s a bit of Christmas timber lingering on or the results of a successful winter bulk, it’s not unusual for us to be carrying a little bit of extra weight going into the summer months, but your diet is the perfect way to start your summer weight loss.

It may be something as simple as letting go of the takeaways, the pizzas and the chocolate bars of course, but for some it’s much more complicated than that.

For those who took on a winter bulk for some winter warmth, they could be looking at a full blown cut in calories. Firstly, work out how much weight you plan to lose and a time scale. It may be that you’re going on holiday or you’re starting a summer sport such as cricket or tennis, so make sure you leave yourself enough time to achieve your desired weight and therefore you won’t need to go without.

You must be mentally tough to make a cut. Going from say 3,000 calories to early 2000s won’t be easy for your body to cope with. Ensure you don’t make a sudden drop and gradually drop your calories, by say 150 or 200 per fortnight, so your body has more than enough time to adjust.

Any cut programme should last at least six weeks, but if you’re cutting 10 pounds or less you should aim for a cut of around 2-3 months, with 20 pounds or more 4-5 months in duration.

In summer foods like watermelon, green beans and cucumber will be readily available so try and encompass these into your diet accordingly, whilst chicken will probably be your best friend over the summer months. Fish is the next low-fat alternative and some porks can also be very low fat, whilst still providing the protein you need to train.

Cardio will also become much more of a factor in your routine opposed to the winter months so make sure you’re still getting in carbs, but you’ll still cut a percentage of those out too. The major cut of course is clearly fat, you’ll only lose weight if you’re burning more calories than you’re consuming, so make sure you track your calorie intake closely day by day to achieve a successful summer weight loss programme.